Training plan

3 races coming up

A 4 miler in 2 weeks
A 7 miler the week after
A 10 miler on May 27th

and an unofficial half marathon in June (still need to set the date depending on work schedule).

Before, I probably would have searched the internet for a runner designed training plan and probably settled on one of Hal Higgdon's plans, especially a beginner one. His training programs depend on 6 days a week of activity and while they work really well in the beginning for me, I quickly develop training fatigue and start to burn out somewhere around week 4. Work-outs get skipped, I feel bad, thus killing my motivation, I fall further behind. I'm left on race day happy with my results and wondering if I could have done better. This time will be different. I've followed plans and read enough that I'm designing my own plan. It'll be 5 workouts a week with 2-3 rest days. Some weeks will require 3 rest days depending on just how my work schedule plays out. This training will occur while I'm working 2 jobs (48-53 hrs/week total), actively volunteering with my women's group and trying to maintain some sort of household. I discovered last year that the other problem with the 6 day a week training plan was the inability to accommodate it into an already full schedule.

Its not a fleshed out plan yet in that I have days assigned but an ideal week will have 2 normal run days (starting at 3 miles and working their way up to 4-5milers with one day dedicated to speed intervals), 1 biking day, 1 long run day (starting at 3.5 miles and increasing by 1 mile each week). 1 day will be a toss up -- strength and flexibility focus if low energy, another run or bike session if motivated and nice out.

Most of the plans I've followed have involved dedicating 1 day to strength and flexibility. My twist is to incorporate my yoga practice 2-5 times a week whether that be through official 1 hour sessions at the studio or 20 minute at home videos to just getting up from watching tv and practicing my poses. 

template for this week:
Monday: Day 1 wound up being a rest day. -- unofficial stretching session
Tuesday: 3.1 mile speed workout
Wednesday: toss up exercise: yoga video
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: long run 3.5 miles
Sunday: yoga? -- strength training -- bike? undecided.or even another rest day.